One of the many trips all over the world which I loved to accompany, when I was a tour guide, was going to India. I love India for its diversity, the colours, the temples, the contrasts, the religion, so many gods, there’s a god in India for every inclination and a festival for every occasion. Our schedule included Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, Puri and ended in Kalkutta.
There’s also the other side of India, the poverty, the street kids and all the beggars in the street which often shocked the people in our tour groups who came from Europe and were not used to this display of misery. They felt like they had to help, and I had the perfect solution for their need; with every tour group I took to India, I paid a visit to one of Mother Teresa’s children’s orphanages in Calcutta. We were always given a little tour around and played some silly games with the kids and then everyone had the opportunity to donate to this wonderful cause.
One day, just as we were about to leave, it happened: This little, slightly hunched woman dressed in white and blue walked down the stairs, said good morning to us with a big smile and walked out the door…. It was her, Mother Teresa… we had all seen her and we were all in awe. There were no pictures taken, no smart phones at the time, there was not enough time to take out a photo camera, when I think of this now, how much would I have loved a selfie with Mother Teresa. It was one of those moments in life that you never forget and only realise what happened when it’s already over.